Happy Indie Monday! It's Christmastime already (I can't believe the year flew by so quickly!), and to kick off the holiday season I've got Roy Palmer, the author of a new YA novel called Sky. The book just released on November 30th, so I'll let him take it away. Me: Tell us about your novel, Sky.
Roy: SKY is the story about Tomas Moone, a dreamer, struggling to cope with life after the death of his father, in a run down London neighbourhood. But Tomas has a secret - he’s fallen in love with a girl he calls Sky. But she’s not real. He’s only ever met her in his dreams. Then one night she fails to show. His dreams take a darker turn, as another woman appears, promising Tomas power and immortality. But there's a heavy price to pay, and Tomas fears for his sanity as the boundary between his dreams and reality breaks down. When Tomas is finally given the chance to meet Sky, he’s plunged into a dangerous world, risking an eternity of torment and horror to save the girl of his dreams.
Me: There are quite a few characters in your book. How hard was it to tie them all together in one plot?Roy: There are four main characters involved in three plot lines that come together in the course of the story. Long before I began to write, I designed computer systems and developed the skill of piecing complex code together and maintaining a 'map' in my head. A colleague referred to it as '3D' thinking - not sure if that's entirely accurate, but I get what he meant. I did keep a timeline of events when writing SKY, and had to keep in mind the time differences between the locations in the story. But it's not really that complicated. Let's just say, everyone who read the drafts, commented on the well-paced story and how nicely it all dove-tailed together. So I like to think I got that bit right :0)
Me: When and why did you start writing?Roy: I wrote a number of short stories in my late teens and early twenties. But whilst I never published them, or even kept them on file, many are still in my head. In fact, the snow scene and tunnel sequence in SKY are adapted from two of those short stories. But I'd always wanted to write a full length novel, as I constantly have ideas rolling around in my head. Both mychildren have an interest in reading, and more recently writing, and we often amuse ourselves on long car journeys, or whilst walking the dog, by coming up with ideas for a book. I also find inspiration in the moment just before I fall asleep. It's when you realize the thoughts running through your head, have suddenly gone off in their own direction. Some ideas I get are very strange, but others have potential. If it comes back the following night, I'll jot it down and see where I can take it.So after a few failed attempts and dead ends, I read Larry Brookes's, 'Story Engineering', followed his advice and wrote 'SKY'.
Me: Author inspirations? Favorite books?
Roy: It's funny. It wasn't until I went back and read the draft, I saw the influence of John Wyndham and Arthur C. Clarke. I read all of their books in my teens and particularly loved Clarke's collection of short stories, 'Of Time and Stars' - what a great title! I read sci-fi, fantasy, military history and the odd crime drama. More recently I've discovered the space opera novelsof Alastair Reynolds and love how he can portray the immensity of space, especially in 'Pushing Ice'. My favorite books include Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' (predictable, I know!), 'Birdsong' by Sebastian Faulkes (but I hated the TV adaptation) and Stephen Pressfield's 'Gates of Fire'. However, although SKY is a YA paranormal novel, I have to admit to not having read any from the genre myself - although I have seen the movies :0)Check out Sky as an ebook in the Kindle Store on Amazon!
